What serving size goes on an apple butter label?

1 tbsp, with the grams of a level tablespoon of your apple butter: 1 tbsp (17g) in our sample. An 8 oz jar then holds about 13 servings.

Can I call it apple butter if I use less sugar?

Yes, as long as it still cooks down to 43% soluble solids. The standard caps the sugar side, not the fruit side. A "no sugar added" or "reduced sugar" claim has its own FDA conditions, and our tool does not check claims.

Can I sell apple butter from my home kitchen?

Many states allow fruit butters under their cottage food laws, each with its own rules and label statement. Nutrition Facts come from federal law, and FDA's small business exemption covers sellers with low sales who make no nutrition claims.

Is there a free apple butter label template?

Yes. Our blank Nutrition Facts and ingredient label templates are free as fillable PDF, Word, SVG and PNG, and the spiced apple butter sample on this page is already filled in. Pay $29 when you want the print files.

Apple Butter Label

Apple butter labels need the name, the net weight, an ingredient list, your name and address and, unless you are exempt, Nutrition Facts per 1 tbsp. Apple butter also has an FDA standard of identity: at least 5 parts fruit to 2 parts sweetener, cooked down to at least 43% soluble solids. A batch that misses those numbers needs another name. Enter your recipe and get a jar label with the natural and added sugars split for you.

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Apple butter label on an 8 oz mason jar of spiced apple butter with a gingham lid, a front label and a Nutrition Facts panel showing 30 calories per tablespoon

Checklist

What has to be on your apple butter label

Front of the jar: the name and the net weight. Back or side: the rest. The numbers match the jar on the left.

Front label

SLOW COOKEDSpicedApple Butter

NET WT 8 OZ (227g)

Back label

Nutrition Facts

about 13 servings per container

Serving size1 tbsp (17g)

Calories30

Total Fat 0g0%

Sodium 0mg0%

Total Carb. 8g3%

Total Sugars 7g

Incl. Added Sugars 5g10%

Protein 0g

Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.

INGREDIENTS: Apples, water, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves.

Allergens: none of the 9 major food allergens.

Made by Orchard Lane KitchenHendersonville, NC 28792

1
Name21 CFR 150.110(e)
"Apple butter" for apple alone. Two to five fruits: "Apple pear butter", in order of weight, or "Mixed fruit butter".
2
Net weight21 CFR 101.7
Ounces and grams in the bottom 30% of the front: NET WT 8 OZ (227g). Fill by weight, not by the jar's fluid size.
3
Nutrition Facts21 CFR 101.9
Per 1 tbsp, with the grams of a level tablespoon of your own butter. Small sellers can be exempt.
4
Ingredient list21 CFR 101.4
Heaviest first, by what goes in the pot: apples, then the cooking water, sugar and spices.
5
Allergen statementFALCPA
Plain apple butter has none of the 9 major allergens, and no butter either. Add a Contains line only if you add one, like a pecan or bourbon pecan version.
6
Name and address21 CFR 101.5
Who made it, with city, state and ZIP. Your state's cottage food rules may add a statement.

Apple butter rules

Things that are different for apple butter

5 : 2At least 5 parts fruit to 2 parts sweetenerBy weight, measured FDA's way: the fruit is counted from its soluble solids times a factor (7.5 for apple), the sweetener by its solids. Less sugar is always fine for this rule; more is not.21 CFR 150.110(b)(1), (d)(1), (d)(2)

43%Cook it down to 43% soluble solidsThe finished butter must reach at least 43% soluble solids, measured with a refractometer. A low sugar butter gets there only with a longer cook. Below 43%, call it something else, like a spread.21 CFR 150.110(d)(3)

No artificialWhat may go in the potThe standard lists what may join the fruit: sweeteners, spice, salt, flavoring, acidifying agents, fruit juice, preservatives, antifoaming agents and pectin. Artificial flavoring is left out on purpose, and so is anything not on the list, dairy included.21 CFR 150.110(c)

1 tbspServing size: 1 tablespoonFruit butters share the 1 tbsp reference amount with honey, jams and jellies, and FDA's product list names apple butter there. Our sample uses 17 g per tablespoon: weigh a level one of yours.21 CFR 101.12(b), Table 2

5 of 7 gApples' sugar is not added sugarSugar from the apples and single strength apple juice stays out of added sugars. White and brown sugar count, and so would juice concentrate beyond plain juice strength. The sample: 7 g total sugars, 5 g added, 10% DV.21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iii)

Pumpkin?Only eight fruits make a standard butterApple, apricot, grape, peach, pear, plum, prune and quince. Pumpkin butter or cranberry butter sits outside this standard, so it follows the general food label rules with its own common name.21 CFR 150.110(b)(1)

Sizes

Apple butter jars and the label that fits

Round jars have less flat label space than you think. Measure the area between the curves, then try the formats in the tool.

Apple butter jars and the label that fits
Jar	Typical label area	Style that usually fits
4 oz jelly jar	2½ × 1½ in	Small package (linear)
8 oz half-pint jar	4 × 2 in	Tabular (wide)Avery 5163
16 oz pint jar	3 × 3½ in	Standard (vertical)
Gift box of one jar	3½ × 5 in	Standard (vertical)Avery 5168

Sample recipe included

Start from a spiced apple butter recipe

Four pounds of apples cook down to a fraction of what goes in the pot, so weigh the finished butter and enter it as the weight after cooking. Swap the brown sugar for maple syrup and the sugars split follows.

Start with this recipe

Start from a spiced apple butter recipe
Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Apples✓ USDA match	4	lb
Water✓ USDA match	1	cup
Sugar✓ USDA match	1	cup
Brown sugar✓ USDA match	1/2	cup
Ground cinnamon✓ USDA match	2	tsp
Ground cloves✓ USDA match	1/4	tsp

Makes about 40.6 oz after cooking down (5 jars of 8 oz)Serving 1 tbsp (17 g)

Questions